Can low ferritin cause shortness of breath?

[pyjamas89]

Hoping someone can share their experience!

My ferritin is currently 6 but my haemoglobin is only borderline low at 11. I am pretty tired, achey and can get quite short of breath. Can this be a result of the low ferritin if I am not really anaemic? Most of what I have read online seems to suggest you would only really be symptomatic with a low hb?

I was prescribed ferrous Fumarate for low ferritin.

If you struggle with sulphate there is the fummerate me and another poster mention. Yes, low ferritin got be off work sick. Really horrible. And spa tone won't fix it! Make sure you take enough as I didn't first time. New link for you as they gave you sulphate. Note you can buy it if you need more. I find that easier

www.nhs.uk/medicines/ferrous-sulfate/

To treat anaemia

The usual dose for adults is:

tablets: one 200mg tablet, taken 2 to 3 times a day
drops: 4ml, taken once or twice a day

Yes. My levels were low and im on iron daily and B12 jabs every 8 weeks

I was prescribed an insane strength dosis (500mg if I remember correctly) of special tablets that only dissolved in the small intestine to avoid gastric side effects.
after a month or so reduced by half and then advised to take an over the counter iron supplement as maintenance dosis.

alternative would have been to receive an iron transfusion.

Yes, my bloods are similar. The fatigue, chest pain and breathlessness has been ongoing for over a year now. ectopic beats too. Coincided with me getting Covid so I thought it was long Covid. I've had CTs, chest X-rays, blood gases all kinds. It was iron tablets that finally stopped it.

My level is 12 and I get palpitations and shortness of breath. The palpitations can be quite scary.

I can't tolerate ferrous fumarate or sulfate so take spa tone. Will have my levels checked in 6 weeks or so. Hopefully there'll be an improvement.

I'm pregnant which is how I found out my levels were lower than normal. I had the same issue with previous pregnancy 3 years ago to the point of needing a transfusion which I never got. and I gave birth the next day. The transfusion was deemed too risky due to everything going wrong in the last weeks of pregnancy. I don't think I've ever been right since!

noo if spatone doesn't get your levels up ask the dr for 'duodenal' tablets that dissolve in the intestine.

Yup

www.healthline.com/health/ferritin#_noHeaderPrefixedContent

It's also advisable to take some Vit C to help with absorption, and to avoid calcium, tea, coffee and antacids for around 2 hours after taking iron supplements.

My body has issues absorbing various vitamins and minerals. In addition to taking iron tablets, I also have regular Iron infusions and blood transfusions as tablets on their own only work for a a short amount of time. Plus regular B12 injections. It's something that has never gone away during my life and even though I no longer have periods my ferritin amongst other things is still low and when I gets bad I end up in hospital.

Thank you purplesequins!